Sole-cutting die.



J. J. HEYS.

SOLE CUTTING DIE. APPLICATION FILED MAR.,21, 1912.

PatentedJanI 12, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. HEYS, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOLE-CUTTING DIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. Hears, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Sole-Cutting Dies, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to improvements in es for cutting sheet material and more particularly to dies for cutting out the soles of boots and shoes from sole leather. Dies intended for this use frequently weigh as much as eight or ten pounds and the continuous lifting and manipulation of such dies at practically arms length and breast high, which is necessary in cutting soles in a beam press, is extremely fatigumg work for the workman or cutter. Themanipulation of dies of this type as heretofore constructed is rendered more arduous by reason of the fact that the cutter has been obliged to grip or squeeze the sides of the die in order to lift it and this gripping of the die each time it is lifted calls for a further expenditure of energy.

Various attempts have been made heretofore to facilitate the handling of sole dies. Forexample, it has been proposed to secure a narrow strap or band about the upper edge of the die or to corrugate its outer surface. None of these expedients, how-.

evei has been successful and none has rendered unnecessary gripping the die quite firmlay with the fingers whenever it is to be lifte It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a sole die with lifting devices having portions arranged to overlie the finers of the cutter so that in lifting the die its weight will be carried entirely by the engagement of the lifting devices with the upper surface of the hands and fingers or in other words, the die will be suspended by the engagement of the cutters fingers with a substantially horizontal surface rather than by the frictional engagement of his fingers with the vertical sides of the die or with the sharp ed e of a strap as heretofore used or thecurve and inclined surface of a corrugation.

As herein shown the lifting devlces are substantially crescent shaped and have a laterally extending flange located with its plane upper surface below the pressure receivlng edge of the die, and beneath the flange, a concave portion with a curved surface shaped to fit the curvature of the inner and upper surfaces of the thumb and forefinger. The concave portion has a maximum depthand thickness below the center of the flange and tapers upwardly and inwardly toward either end thus conforming to the natural shape of the hand en agin the die, and render ng the die com ortabia to the hand. An important advantage of these novel lifting devices is that they cause the hands lifting the die to slide inwardly into engagement with thewalls of the die and to stay there without'efi'ort onthe art of the cutter. It is not necessary, there ore, for the cutter to expend any strength in pressing his hands against the o posite ends of the die and he has only to li the die in moving it from one position to another on the hide. This is an important consideration on ac? count of the great number oftimes a heavy sole cutting die must be lifted in a days work. In addition'to'these advantages the concave portion facilitates securingthe lifting device to the die. Anadvantage of disposlng the upper surface'of the lifting devices below'the plane of the pressure receiving edge of the die is that there is no pos sibility of the beam of the press striking and breaklng the device as would otherwise be likely to happ by a wrinkle in the hide.

The lifting devices herein disclosed are of great assistance in manipulating the die but they are further useful as safety appliances for preventing the fingers of the cutter from sllppin over the upper edge of the die where t ey would be crushed y the beam of the press, an accident which has been all too common heretofore;

The nature'of the present invention will be best understood and its advantages appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration, and shown in the accompaihying drawings, n wh1ch- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the die as held in the cutters hands. 2 is a sectionalzview on the line 2-2 of i 1. Fig. 3 is a viewiii'perspective of one o the lifting devices separated from the die.

en if the die should be tilted Thedi'e itself comprisesan endless' frame of steel shaped to correspond with the soles it is desired to produce and having a lower sharpened cutting edge 10 and a parallel flat pressure receiving edge 12. The inner wall of the die extends vertically from the cutting edge for a short distance and is then offset outwardly at 14 to give clearance for the cut out soles so that they may pass freely upwardly within th body of the die. The outer surface of the die is beveled at, its lower edge to form the cutting edge and above the bevel extends substantially vertically to the pressure receiving edge 12.

The lifting devices are attached at the toe and heel ends of the die by riveting, soldering or other suitable means and, 'as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each comprises a crescentshaped member having a curved flange 16 with a plane upper surface and a lower concave portion 18 beneath the flange. In such construction the maximum width of the flange will be at the end of ,the die and its a width will be reduced toward either end of the flange. The inner surface 20 of each member is curved to fit the curved end of the die to' which they are to be secured. Thelower portion 18 of each lifting device has a maximum width and depth below the center of the flange and tapers upwardly and inwardly toward both ends of the flange. Thesurface' of this portion is concaved to fit the curvature ofthe fingers of a hand grasping the die. The outer edge of the flange 16 is shaped to present a smooth unbroken contour and extends from the wall of the die at one side around to the wall of the die on the, other side, approachin the walls on either side at an acute angle. '5 construction .is, advantageous because a flange so shaped ofl'e'rs no salient angle or I corner which will be likely to damage either the hands of the workman orthe leather.

The lifting devices are secured to the ends of the die in such position that the upper faceof the flange 16 is disposed, somewhat below the upper edge of the die, and so located that they are safely outof range of the beam of the press even though the die should become slightly tilted upon the hide. In manipulatingthe die of m invention the cutter will asp the ends 0 the die in the natural an customary manner and it will be found that, the surfaces of the liftmg devices conform to the shape of the uper and inner surfaces of the thumb and ers, and-that b overlying a portion of the cutters hand a necessity is eliminated characteristic i secured without materially inc of call upon the muscles of the fingers in the e ort to lift the die by frictional enga ement with its vertical walls. i

t will be ap arent that, b reason of the ape of the 'ft' devices,

the beneficial results above.set orth a'fie t e secured to the ends weight of the die. While other forms of lifting devices could be employed within the scope of the present invention, it is believed that the form herein shown is particularly well adapted to the requirements of the case in that the flange may be made. of any desired configuration to afiord extended lifting surface without appreciably increasing the weight in the die, while the lower concave portion is convenient in securin the lifting device in place and also contri utes to the comfort of the cutter by nicely fitting the natural contour of the hand. c

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of theUnited States is:

c 1. A sole die having at each end a lifting device comprising a curved flange with a concave portion projecting downwardly flange. with a concave portion projecting downwardly and tapering at each end toward the outer wall of the die, the lifting devices being secured to the die with the upper surface of the flange below the pressure receiving edgp of the die,

3. A sole die cured to its too and heel ends, said devices having'an upper laterally extending portion adapted to overlie art of the cutters hands and extending s ciently to prevent upward slipping of the hands as the die is loosely held and having a lower portion sha ed to fit the inner surfaces of the thumb and forefinger and inclined obliquely ugwardly toward the middle portion of t e 4. A sole die having a cutting edge, a pressure receiving edge, and lifting devices of the die, each device including engaging surfaces curved transversely of the die and inclined longitudinally of the die upwardly toward the center thereof for causing the hands lifting the die to slip toward each other and into engagement with the end walls of the die.

5. A sole die having a lifting device at one end corgprising a crescent-shaped flange and a curv lower portion havin a maximum depth at the center of the ange and tapering upwardly toward either end of the the pressure receiving edge of the die and extending outwardly sufliciently to prevent aving lifting devices sememes upward slipping of the hands as the die is loosely held, the inner edge of the flange being curved to fit the die, its outer edge having a different curvature, being of smooth unbroken contour throughout and so shaped as to 've the flange a maximum width substantia y opposite to the ends of the die and curvlng inwardly toward the sides of thewiie at each end so that the inner ends of the flange are reduced to a th 1 a h m so e cutt' 'e a a ressure receiving edge, d fifting device swelled to the heel end of the die with its upper surface below the plane of the pressure receivname to this specification ing edge'of the die, and another. lifting device secured to thetoe end of the die and similarly disposed, each lifting device being substantially crescent-shaped and so contructed and arranged with relation to the contour of its respective end of the die that its outer edge approaches the walls of the die on either side at an acute angle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN J. HEYS.

Witnesses:

Cnns'mn E. Rooms, Hnnemz r W. Kanwer. 

